LINCOLN — Two promising pitchers who sat out the 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery will be back practicing with Nebraska’s baseball team this fall.
Junior right-hander Jake Hohensee (1-0, 2.08 ERA in 2015) and sophomore left-hander Nate Fisher (0-0, 3.86) both have completed their rehabilitation process, coach Darin Erstad said. So they were out on the field with the rest of the Husker squad as it opened its fall practice Tuesday at Haymarket Park.
Also back healthy is sophomore Scott Schreiber, who led the team with 16 home runs last year but was slowed at the end of the season with a muscle strain. He was kept out of practice Tuesday because of food poisoning. Erstad said Schreiber will be “pushed” just like every other player this fall.
Three right-handers — junior Reece Eddins and sophomores Robbie Palkert and Chad Luensmann — will be limited over the next few weeks after logging some summer ball innings, Erstad said. The Huskers plan to ease sophomore Jake McSteen back into the mix, too. McSteen’s velocity increased as the 2016 season unfolded, Erstad said, but the left-hander is still just a year removed from major shoulder surgery so his workload has been closely regulated.
Junior right-hander Zack Engelken (shoulder) is expected to be out until March, Erstad said. Senior Matt Warren, a former Creighton right-hander, won’t pitch in 2017 (Tommy John surgery). Warren will need to be granted a sixth-year of eligibility to play in 2018.
Double duty for Miller?
Senior Ben Miller is going to use portions of fall ball to prepare himself to help Nebraska on the mound. He’s just not sure if that will translate into more innings next year.
But he wants to contribute. NU could use another left-hander, Erstad said.
Miller has made 10 career appearances. He threw just two-thirds of an inning last year.
“Every year, that’s the plan at the beginning of the year,” Miller said. “This fall, I’m starting to throw again. We’ll see where it takes me this year.”
Miller, a 32nd-round draft pick last summer, ranked third on the team in batting average (.317), second in RBIs (46) and first in doubles (16) as a junior.
No Boldt is a strange sight
The center fielder who missed three games during his NU career is no longer suiting up for the Huskers. Ryan Boldt is a pro now.
That was a little odd Tuesday — Nebraska’s first practice without the second-round MLB draft pick.
“He was a fixture, that’s for sure. And a pretty good fixture at that,” Erstad said. “But that’s part of sports. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at. There’s turnover. There’s change.”
NU also has to replace its all-time appearances leader (Jeff Chesnut). It will need a new shortstop and third baseman, too.
Graduate transfer Alex Raburn may be able to help on the infield. The former North Carolina player joined the Huskers this summer after missing the 2016 season with an injured wrist. Raburn played in all 58 of UNC’s games two years ago and appeared in a 2013 College World Series game.
“A lot of experience and an athletic kid. We’ll see how he fits in,” Erstad said of Raburn.
Erstad agrees to extension
Erstad agreed this summer to a 5 percent raise and one-year extension to his contract, according to documents obtained by The World-Herald through a public records request.
Erstad, who’s entering his sixth year at NU, will make $217,308 in 2017. He’s under contract until June 30, 2021.
It is considered standard practice in major college sports for coaches to have at least a five-year deal — to maintain stability in recruiting. Erstad has accepted four separate one-year contract extensions dating back to 2013, all of which were signed and approved by Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst.
Nebraska has a 176-119 record (.597) in Erstad’s five years. The Huskers reached an NCAA regional for the second time in three seasons last June.
Quick hits
» Former Husker player Pat Kelly has returned to Lincoln to complete his undergraduate degree. He’ll be serving as a student coach this fall.
» Pitching coach Ted Silva spent July on the coaching staff for the USA collegiate national team. The squad played games in Taiwan, Japan and Cuba.
» Sophomore right-hander Matt Waldron and junior left-hander Jake Meyers did not pitch this summer.
» NU had two players in the Cape Cod League. Luensmann finished with a 4.86 ERA in 20-1/3 innings, and Luis Alvarado recorded seven hits in 40 at-bats.
» Nebraska is set to conduct 28 practices and hold some skill training sessions over the next 45 days. The Red-White scrimmage dates have not been announced.
Contact the writer: jon.nyatawa@owh.com, 402-473-9585,twitter.com/JonNyatawa
See LINK
Junior right-hander Jake Hohensee (1-0, 2.08 ERA in 2015) and sophomore left-hander Nate Fisher (0-0, 3.86) both have completed their rehabilitation process, coach Darin Erstad said. So they were out on the field with the rest of the Husker squad as it opened its fall practice Tuesday at Haymarket Park.
Also back healthy is sophomore Scott Schreiber, who led the team with 16 home runs last year but was slowed at the end of the season with a muscle strain. He was kept out of practice Tuesday because of food poisoning. Erstad said Schreiber will be “pushed” just like every other player this fall.
Three right-handers — junior Reece Eddins and sophomores Robbie Palkert and Chad Luensmann — will be limited over the next few weeks after logging some summer ball innings, Erstad said. The Huskers plan to ease sophomore Jake McSteen back into the mix, too. McSteen’s velocity increased as the 2016 season unfolded, Erstad said, but the left-hander is still just a year removed from major shoulder surgery so his workload has been closely regulated.
Junior right-hander Zack Engelken (shoulder) is expected to be out until March, Erstad said. Senior Matt Warren, a former Creighton right-hander, won’t pitch in 2017 (Tommy John surgery). Warren will need to be granted a sixth-year of eligibility to play in 2018.
Double duty for Miller?
Senior Ben Miller is going to use portions of fall ball to prepare himself to help Nebraska on the mound. He’s just not sure if that will translate into more innings next year.
But he wants to contribute. NU could use another left-hander, Erstad said.
Miller has made 10 career appearances. He threw just two-thirds of an inning last year.
“Every year, that’s the plan at the beginning of the year,” Miller said. “This fall, I’m starting to throw again. We’ll see where it takes me this year.”
Miller, a 32nd-round draft pick last summer, ranked third on the team in batting average (.317), second in RBIs (46) and first in doubles (16) as a junior.
No Boldt is a strange sight
The center fielder who missed three games during his NU career is no longer suiting up for the Huskers. Ryan Boldt is a pro now.
That was a little odd Tuesday — Nebraska’s first practice without the second-round MLB draft pick.
“He was a fixture, that’s for sure. And a pretty good fixture at that,” Erstad said. “But that’s part of sports. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at. There’s turnover. There’s change.”
NU also has to replace its all-time appearances leader (Jeff Chesnut). It will need a new shortstop and third baseman, too.
Graduate transfer Alex Raburn may be able to help on the infield. The former North Carolina player joined the Huskers this summer after missing the 2016 season with an injured wrist. Raburn played in all 58 of UNC’s games two years ago and appeared in a 2013 College World Series game.
“A lot of experience and an athletic kid. We’ll see how he fits in,” Erstad said of Raburn.
Erstad agrees to extension
Erstad agreed this summer to a 5 percent raise and one-year extension to his contract, according to documents obtained by The World-Herald through a public records request.
Erstad, who’s entering his sixth year at NU, will make $217,308 in 2017. He’s under contract until June 30, 2021.
It is considered standard practice in major college sports for coaches to have at least a five-year deal — to maintain stability in recruiting. Erstad has accepted four separate one-year contract extensions dating back to 2013, all of which were signed and approved by Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst.
Nebraska has a 176-119 record (.597) in Erstad’s five years. The Huskers reached an NCAA regional for the second time in three seasons last June.
Quick hits
» Former Husker player Pat Kelly has returned to Lincoln to complete his undergraduate degree. He’ll be serving as a student coach this fall.
» Pitching coach Ted Silva spent July on the coaching staff for the USA collegiate national team. The squad played games in Taiwan, Japan and Cuba.
» Sophomore right-hander Matt Waldron and junior left-hander Jake Meyers did not pitch this summer.
» NU had two players in the Cape Cod League. Luensmann finished with a 4.86 ERA in 20-1/3 innings, and Luis Alvarado recorded seven hits in 40 at-bats.
» Nebraska is set to conduct 28 practices and hold some skill training sessions over the next 45 days. The Red-White scrimmage dates have not been announced.
Contact the writer: jon.nyatawa@owh.com, 402-473-9585,twitter.com/JonNyatawa
See LINK
